


Love Can't Be Enough.

by Caspian_Faurus



Category: Metal Gear
Genre: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-08-07 11:06:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16407299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caspian_Faurus/pseuds/Caspian_Faurus
Summary: Jack was a man haunted by inescapable demons within his mind. The demons of his tragic, violent childhood.No matter how much he denied everything and tried to flee from those demons, they never left him be.After Big Shell, this only got worse.Rose, his partner, while feels nothing but immense love for him, can only stand by and watch.This is a narration of a short story, through her eyes.





	1. The Look of a Beast

### Part 1: The Look of a Beast 

"Jack...? Is that you?"  
Rose worriedly tied her nightrobe around herself tight, warily padding out the room and down the stairs to the lobby.

The sky outside was pitch black. It was definitely past midnight.

For some moments after the slam on the door, there were no sounds.  
Rose breathed as silently as she could, trying to stop her quivering.

"Jack?" she called out once more.

Another thump, this time on the floor somewhere, and some mumbling.

Rose hastened`her steps, growing more and more fearful.  
He was drunk again, wasn't he?

"Jack. Where are you?" she tried one final time, steeling her voice.  
"Mmh... huh..." came some low groans near the edge of the staircase.

Rose took her final step off the stairs, and reached for the light switch.  
The electric light had a stinging glow, and she blinked a few times to adjust herself to the brightness.

"Switch... it off..." moaned the body lying face down behind her.  
Rose didn't even want to look at him. She determinedly kept her back to him.  
"No. I won't." she firmly shot back.

"Hngh... help me up, at least..." he protested in slurs.  
"Pick yourself up. I'm done doing even that for you."  
"Rose..."

She heard him scrabble on the floor, trying to stand up. She crossed her arms tighter.

"Rose... I'm sorry..."  
"Sorry? Do you even know what that means?"  
"I-"  
"Every time! You say that to me every time! But you don't stop, do you?!"  
"Rose-"  
"No, no need to say anything. I... won't take it. Not anymore."

She bent her head, failing to hold back thick tears in her eyes.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and immediately shrugged it off.  
It left a red stain on her robe, but she didn't notice it just yet.

"I can't... get away from it..."  
"Your past?! That's what you mean, don't you? That's what "it" always means! It doesn't mean you can go out on a bender every damn night though!"

Her voice finally wobbled, and she gave in to sobs.

"I-I've given up... trying t-to help you... to be h-honest..." she shakily yelled out, then fell to her knees on the floor.

She could sense someone kneeling beside her, and she shifted away.  
But this time he didn't let her go, and trapped her in his arms.

Her eyes were squeezed shut as she collapsed in them; never noticing the gradual reddening of her garments.

He breathed loud in her ear, his words heavy and fumbling.  
"I can... take care of myself..."  
"You can't... th-this is no way-"  
"This is my way... please, Rose... I'm sorry, but..."  
"But what?! I-I can't ever let y-you do this to y-yourself!"  
"Let me just... do what I can to-"  


Anger boiled up inside her at his pathetic justifications. She let it loose, and pushed him away from her.  
Not really trying to steady himself, Jack fell on the floor once more, this time on his back.

And that's when she saw it.

Rose shrieked out loud, quickling stumbling up and away from his bloody form.

She looked down at her stained robes, horrified.

She wiped her eyes and made out the wounds on his body through her blurry vision.  
A black eye, and a heavily bleeding jaw and knuckles.  
His shirt was mostly torn up.

He hadn't even paid attention to it all, it seemed!  
Had he even realized what he looked like?!

He looked like... a monster!

"Jack! What in the world have you done to yourself?!!" Rose screamed out.  
Her partner looked up at her blearily, then at his arms.  
"O-Oh..." was his minimalist reaction. "I got into.. a fight..."

Rose was growing angrier by the second.  
Was this the same man she so loved?  
Or was this some crude, monstrous impostor, pretending to be him?

Would her Jack ever hurt himself and her like this?

"I know you got into a fight! Just... just go wash yourself, dammit!"  
Tears swiftly fell down her eyes as she chastised him hysterically.

Seemingly unfettered, Jack slowly sat up, taking his own time. His nose let out a bubble of blood as he snorted out breaths.

Rose choked, trying to stop her crying and calming herself.  
She remembered once more why she couldn't let herself be in this state for too long, and cupped her stomach.  
It was getting harder each day. But she couldn't let it get to her.

Breathe... breathe... spoke a soothing voice in her head.  
She shut her wet eyes and counted to ten.

When she next opened her eyes, Jack was leaning against the wall and bloodying it, visibly dizzy.

Rose was torn between giving in and helping him like she always ended up doing, or just standing by and watching the spectacle.

She chose the former, again.  
She still loved him so much.  
Pity. There was so much pity.

"Come on, you fool..." she muttered, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, waiting for him to lean on her.

But this time, he stayed stiff.  
Only looking at her with glassy, unfocused eyes.

"What?" she snapped nonchalantly. Did he need convincing?

He coughed, another spurt of blood splashing out from his nose.  
"I'll... do it myself..." he thickly mumbled.

Rose took a step back, shaking.

She wasn't so angry anymore. She wanted to help him.

But he seemed to refuse to even acknowledge her touch.

====


	2. The Curse of a Beast

### The Curse of a Beast

"Jack, don't be an idiot."

He pushed himself off the wall at her words, holding his shoulder.

"I'm fine..." were his grumbles, before he began to drag himself up the stairs.

"Jack!" Rose called after him, almost in a sprint to catch up to him.

What if he fell down the stairs?!

But he didn't even look back, only increasing his pace up each step.

Rose clamped her quivering lips shut as she followed him up, making sure to stay right behind him.  
Even if he would be about to, she was willing to fall in her attempt to stop it.  
She was sure.

Jack heaved himself up the final step with a mighty push, then staggered his way to their bathroom.  
Still not saying a word.

Rose tried to keep patience, never more than a few paces behind him.  
Maybe... tonight he felt a little guilty?  
Maybe wanting to save her the hassle this time?

She wanted to be near him nevertheless.

It was good that she did.  
Only some strides away from the bathroom, Jack's totters got to him.  
He tipped, unable to balance himself on his soles.

Rose darted forward and somehow managed to keep his muscular heavy frame upright, tightly holding him by the waist.

She felt him struggle, and squeezed on him. "Stop it!"  
But he wouldn't stop.  
"Let me... just..." he continued to struggle, trying to push out of her grip.

To her dismay, his strength won over hers.  
She stumbled back, blinking hard.

"What do you... what do you think you're doing?" she whispered.

She expected silence from him again.  
Surprisingly, he answered. A lot more coherently.

"Rose... don't worry about me..."

How ridiculous! How could she not?!  
"What do you take me for?!" was her immediate retort.

But he didn't seem to be listening.  
"I'm... not good enough for you..." he rambled in monotone, his head bent.

She shook her head, another stray tear descending down her cheek.

"That's not... that's not true..."  
"I never was..."  
"It doesn't even matter... does it? What matters is... that you still love me..." she pathetically argued.  
"It matters to me..."

Almost furious, Rose reached out for his waist again and held him from behind.

"What ever you're trying to say... just say it."

She felt a wet hand tap the back of her own on his torso.

"I know I'm a burden to you... I know it..." he finally broke.

She rested her forehead against his shoulder.  
Was this leading to what she thought it was going to lead to?  
"You're not leaving me, Jack..."

"But you're right... I can't do this to you and myself anymore..."  
"That's why you shouldn't just walk away... that would break my heart, Jack..."  
"What should I do, then, Rose? I know nothing that could help me... besides drinking the pain away..."

She took a moment, and pondered.

What could he do?  
What could she do?  


She couldn't change the past for him. And she was clueless on how to ease him out of it.

She knew nothing. Not even how it felt for him.  
She was more useless to him than he was to her.

Jack continued on, his voice turning into less and less of a meaningless drone.  
"They're after me, Rose... I hope you remember that..."

They'd use her - and the child - just to fish him out.  
Someday soon.

She couldn't think with her heart anymore, could she?

Her arms around her lover began to loosen in defeat.

Rose felt him turn, and then wrap her in a tight hug.  
She clutched him once again, but her mind was buzzing with unbearable doubt.

She'd just wanted to love him.

But he was cursed.

It seemed that forever, from birth, he was fated to be chased, and chained.

He rested a bloody hand behind her head.  
Silenced.  
Almost as if he knew she was deeply lost in thought.

She sniffled in his torn shirt, wishing pitifully for the moment to last forever.

Just him and her.  
Jack and Rose.

**\- Fin -**


End file.
